Rap Mic Contest Lets MC’s Rap into Their Headphones

Underground Hip hop label Stones Throw teamed up with audio brand AIAIAI to develop an app that lets rap artists record and upload their vocal track to Stones Throw’s upcoming vinyl release. The idea is inspired by popular line rapped by Charizma & label founder Peanut Butter Wolf in their first single “My World Premiere” where Charizma whimsically said “When I didn’t have a mic, I rapped on headphones.” Label founder Peanut Butter Wolf will choose the winner and press up the winning recording on a 7” vinyl record.

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Developed by CP+B Scandanavia, My World Premiere is an app that lets users rap into their headphones to enter their tracks into a rap competition. This was coupled with the release of a special edition TMA-1 DJ headphones that pays tribute to the early days of the label. According to the AIAIAI website:

This special edition headphone comes with two different cables; one with and without microphone. Instead of just using the headset version to speak on the phone, we’re asking rap talents to step up to the ‘rap mic’ and use the mic in their headphones to get a little closer to their dream (The app and competition works with any headset).

We love how this robust marketing effort coupled a simple product release alongside a single-purpose mobile app. The central idea, according to label founder is to articulate around the rallying cry: make music however you can. This is an idea the label and their partners embraced in the 90’s and will continue to moving forward. Watch the video below for a deeper historical context of the track and label: